


3000 Miles

by ramenrulz8P, wingenuine



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Jock/Nerd!Shownu, Light Angst, M/M, Pre-College AU, nerd!kihyun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-04
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2019-04-18 06:36:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14207259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ramenrulz8P/pseuds/ramenrulz8P, https://archiveofourown.org/users/wingenuine/pseuds/wingenuine
Summary: Shownu sits across from Kihyun and wonders if their future is three thousand miles apart.





	3000 Miles

**Author's Note:**

> Based off [this twitter post ](https://twitter.com/shownu0618_bear/status/978328723660275715) by @shownu0618_bear

Loving Kihyun is easy, Hyunwoo thinks. But perhaps that’s because it’s Kihyun. He looks at the younger over the top of the menu. They’ve been to this restaurant plenty of times before and he knows exactly what Kihyun will order but Kihyun insists on perusing the menu anyways. Common courtesy, he says with a cheeky grin, even as Hyunwoo rolls his eyes.

The spring air is fresh and for once, they don’t have any tests to study for. They’re out for lunch for a late celebration for Kihyun’s acceptance to UCLA, his top choice after Kihyun’s terrible experience at his interview with Harvard. Hyunwoo’s proud of his boyfriend, proud to the point his heart swells up and painfully clenches when he looks at him.

Or, maybe it’s for a different reason.

Namely, the letter that sits on Hyunwoo’s study desk, blaring in his face each time he sits down. Hyunwoo has read its contents a hundred times over, unable to digest that it’s real. But as elated as he feels, there is a pit in his stomach doesn’t seem to disappear. He looks up and smiles apologetically when Kihyun reaches to touch his hand from across the table, a worried expression on his face.

“You okay?”

Hyunwoo chokes back the words he’s been wanting to say. “Mm. Just thinking. Shall we order?”

Kihyun rattles off the exact same order he always gets and Hyunwoo feels the corners of his mouth rise. He fails to recall the exact moment he memorized it, but it’s as familiar to him as the curve of Kihyun’s smile and the crinkle of his eyes. 

When they’re alone again, Kihyun plays with Hyunwoo’s fingers as they wait and talks about his day, lisp cute and prominent the more excited he gets. Hyunwoo feels his heart twist again. He would miss this, miss  _ him _ , he knows.

For now, Hyunwoo focuses on the food and the man in front of him. He could listen to Kihyun talk all day. It’s easy to forget about everything else when it’s just the two of them, having small moments like this. 

Kihyun swallows the bite of chicken in his mouth and hums. “So, I was looking at apartments that would be close enough to campus for us. There’s a few that are also pretty close to the restaurant district and they’re not too expensive, so you don’t have to worry too much about the rent.”

“We should take a look at them first,” Hyunwoo comments. The apartments Hyunwoo would be able to afford in Los Angeles are nowhere as nice as what Kihyun has probably chosen. “Did you already submit your acceptance of admission?” he asks, despite knowing his impatient boyfriend has already made his decision. 

“Did it as soon as I saw the email.” Kihyun sighs happily, turning bright eyes toward Hyunwoo. “Can you believe we’ll be going to university together? I thought we wouldn’t because of the whole Harvard thing, but I’m so happy everything worked out.”

Hyunwoo doesn’t say anything but Kihyun doesn’t notice, and if he does, he chooses not to say anything about it.

At Kihyun’s insistence, despite his family’s financial circumstances, Hyunwoo had applied to Harvard. Now, an acceptance letter sits on his desk next to the one from UCLA. He still hasn’t confirmed his admission yet to either school.

“The food scene is really nice in LA,” he adds, sketching out what his life with Kihyun in LA might look like. It’s a pretty picture, he admits. One he could get used to, because it is so easy to just exist as long as he has Kihyun. “If we have time, we should check some restaurants out.”

Kihyun smiles at him indulgently, a teasing grin on his lips. “Of course you’re thinking about food,” he laughs, eyes filled with mirth. Hyunwoo pouts if just to see Kihyun’s grin grow wider, the one that brings out his cheekbones and make his eyes turn into crescents.

“I’ve got to eat to maintain muscle for swim meets,” he grumbles around a mouthful of noodles. Right as he says that, without batting an eye, he stretches out his arm slightly for Kihyun to squeeze.

“I’m not complaining,” Kihyun says, fingers pressing rhythmically against Hyunwoo’s bicep. “We should start working out together. Since you said they didn’t offer you a scholarship for swimming, you probably won’t be exercising as much anymore.”

“Sure,” he nods. He knows it’s one of Kihyun’s goals to lose weight in an attempt to rid himself of his nerdy image but Hyunwoo secretly prefers his soft cheeks and tummy that make Kihyun perfect to kiss and hug. But he would like Kihyun in any iteration of him, skinny or chubby, sharp or soft. And one of the best things about their relationship is that he doesn’t have to wonder if Kihyun thinks the same about him. He just knows it’s true.

Kihyun doesn’t have to say it because it’s written in everything he does for them. It’s in the way Kihyun offers to cover most of the rent for their shared apartment. It’s in the way Kihyun tells him not to worry about the food costs. Or about his textbooks. All without second thought or hidden motive. His boyfriend had spent what little of his free time that he had managing a spreadsheet with all their expenses, penny pinching to the last cent just so the two of them could be together. 

Without Kihyun, Hyunwoo would have gone to the local college that had also offered him a full scholarship. Even with his academic scholarship, his parents couldn’t afford to send him out of town, let alone to UCLA. The thought of having his boyfriend foot the bills for him though, even if just temporarily, does not settle well with Hyunwoo. Not when he wants to give Kihyun the world. If he had the means, Hyunwoo would do all that and more in return. 

But Hyunwoo doesn’t have the means… Or at least he thought.

A few weeks after he received his acceptance letter from Harvard, another email arrived. Hyunwoo had read over the details, again and again and again, until his eyes glazed over and the words blurred together. Hyunwoo had thought it impossible what they were offering: a full ride scholarship for both academics and sports to the best business school in the world with the opportunity and access to several private need-based scholarships to cover whatever was not included. His parents wouldn’t have to shell out a dime for anything except the plane ticket to get there. It’s everything Hyunwoo could ask for and then some.

The only problem is that it’s 3000 miles across the country from UCLA. From Kihyun.

It would be strange, Hyunwoo thinks, not being next to Kihyun because that’s how it’s always been these past few years. Hyunwoo and Kihyun, Kihyun and Hyunwoo. Even as Kihyun gesticulates while he speaks, one hand remains laced with Hyunwoo’s, filling the spaces between his fingers perfectly. He squeezes it gently and imagines the emptiness that would fill his chest without Kihyun by his side. It aches. Could he survive without Kihyun?

Something must show on his face (or maybe not; Kihyun has always been able to read Hyunwoo like an open book) because Kihyun pauses in the midst of telling him about a funny interaction on the Facebook group for the incoming UCLA class.

“Are you okay? Is something wrong?”

Hyunwoo wants to shake his head, tell him that  _ no, nothing’s wrong, everything’s fine _ , that no, he’s not going to break Kihyun’s heart anytime soon. But that would be a lie and Hyunwoo has never been good at lying.

He looks at Kihyun and Kihyun smiles back, warm and comforting. Hyunwoo tries to memorize this moment, the soft smile on Kihyun’s lips, the faint dimples on the tops of his cheeks. No matter what decision he makes, something will change. That is inevitable.

There are some things that will never change though. Kihyun will always want what’s best for Hyunwoo just as Hyunwoo will always want what’s best for Kihyun. But Kihyun has been and always will be the better, (no, the  _ best _ ) part of Hyunwoo and the decision before him becomes scarier and scarier every time he thinks about it.

The truth is, Hyunwoo has made his choice. And whatever Kihyun says isn’t going to change it. He shouldn’t worry. They can handle anything that life throws at them. Hyunwoo believes it with all his heart, but still, he closes his eyes and breathes deeply, trying to soothe his nerves and to keep his voice from wobbling.

“Hey, I have something to tell you.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first in a set of collaborative dabblesque fics we plan to put out this year. All of them will be random, covering a wide range of topics, and we'll address this further as the collection is released. 
> 
> You can find us [@wingenuine](https://wingenuine.tumblr.com/) on tumblr and [@ramenrulz8P](https://twitter.com/ramenrulz8P) on twitter ^_^ 
> 
> Comment if you'd like to see a continuation! Also, can you tell the difference between our writing styles? Is it obvious who wrote what parts?
> 
> BONUS INFO:  
> Shownu got into Harvard because he did a summer research program under the renowned Lee Hyori. She wrote him an amazing recommendation letter, which influenced the university's decision. 
> 
>  
> 
> [ lowkey sugardaddy! Kihyun ;) ]]


End file.
